Flexible pipe.



G. F. ROYER. FLEXIBLE P IPE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27, 1907.

' 899,623, v Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

7 I j Snow H306 wi/tvpaoodd {3 7 atfozma GEORGE F. ROYER, OFWILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA.

' FLEXIBLE PIPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

Application filed September 27,1907. Serial No. 394,884.

To all whom it may concern: Y 7

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. RoYER, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Wilkes Barre, Luzerne county, State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Flexible Pipes, of whichthe following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to produce a flexible tube; orpipe adapted to convey steam, air or other fluid under pressure. I

The invention is applicable to pipes for connecting the steam and airsystems of railway cars and also applicable to any other situation inwhich flexible pipes or hose may be used. 1

Another object of the invention is to produce a built-up flexil'ile pipewhich is made of any number of series of duplicate parts and which maytherefore be constructed of any desired length.

The invention will be described in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a flexible pipe embodyingthe present in vention; Figs. 2 and 3 are sections on the lines 2 and 3of Fig. 1. respectively.

Referring to the drawing it will be seen that the invention comprises aseries of inner rings or-tube-sections 11, each having an annular rib 12on its outer surface; a series of outer rings 13; each" havin an annularrib 14 on its inner surface an outwardly projecting annular flanges 15at its ends; a series of rings or tubular sections 16 of rubber or otherelastic material arranged alternately with the rings 11 and interposedbetween the rings 11 and 13; a series of sectional outer rings 17havinginwardly extending annular flanges 18 which engage the flan es 15and the rings 13, and outwardly extending flanges or projections 19 forconfining the wire coils 20 or other means for uniting the sections ofeach ring.

The ribs '12 and 14are preferably arranged centrally of therings 11 and13 and the rings 11 and 13 are preferably about the same length and areseparated when assembled sufficiently to permit the pipe to bend to thedesired extent. The flexible pipe or coupling rnay be made of anydesired length by building it up of the requisite number of the severalkinds of sections above described in a manner to be presently explained.At each end of the flexible pipe I provide a coupling section 21, theinner end of which is recessed to receive one end of the adjacentflexible -ring 16 and provided with an exterior flange 22 to be engagedby the adjacent sectional ring 17. The coupling section is suitablythreaded to receive a pipe 23 which is preferably of the same internaldiameter as the interior of the couplin 21 and the rings In assemblingthe various parts to form a flexible pipe or coupling, one of theflexible sections 16 is first placed in the annular recess in thecoupling section 21, in which it fits closely. An inner ring 1] isthen'littcd into the outer end of the flexible ring until the shoulderor rib 12 abuts against said flexible ring. An outer ring 13 is thenfitted upon the outer side of the flexible ring until .its shoulder 14abuts against theflexible ring. The ribs 12 and 14 are preferablytriangular and the corners of the flexible rings are preferably beveledto fit against said ribs, as shown in the drawing. A second flexiblering is then inserted in the recess between the inner and outer ringsuntil it abuts against the ribs 12 and 14 and also against thepreviously assembled 'flexilz-le section. In the same manner additionalrings 12. H and 16 are assembled until the desired length of theflexible pipe is attained. To hold the parts in position the sectionalrings 17 are applied, as shown in the drawing, and the sections of eachring are secured together and in place by wire or other suitablefastening 20. When wire is used it can be tied temporarily or it may besoldered or sweated permanently in place. The groove of rectangularsection between the ribs 19 may besubstituted by a groove of other form,such as a simple circular groove adapted to hold two or three strands ofwire or a band.

The flexible pipe or coupling is normally straight, as shown in Pig. 1,and the flexible rings 16 abut against each other forming a continuouswall which prevents leakage. When the pipe is bent the portions of theflexible rings on the inner side of the bend are is to be ap lied.

It will '16 understood that the sectional rings 17 do not grip the rings14 with suflicient force to prevent them from moving relatively. It willalso be understood that the rings 17 simply act to prevent separation ofthe rings 13 and do not sustain any strain due to the internal pressurein the pipe.

Having described my invention what I claim. and desire to secure byLetters-Patent is, p

1. A flexible tube comprising a plurality of flexible rings abutting endto end, a plurality of separated rings within the flexible rings andarranged alternately therewith, and a lurality of separated ringssurrounding the flexible rings and arranged alternately there with.

2. A flexible tube comprising a plurality of inner rings, a plurality offlexible rings abutting end to end and surrounding said inner rings, alurality of outer rings surrounding the flexilile rings, and means forpreventing the outer rin s from moving apart axially.

3. A flexib e tube comprising a plurality of inner rings each having anannular rib on its outer surface, a plurality of outer rings each havingan annular rib on its inner surface, a

plurality of intermediate flexible rings arranged alternately'wi'th theinner and outer rings and having their ends abutting against said ribsand against each other, and means limiting the separation of the outerrings, the adjacent inner and outer rings being nor mally separated topermit of flexure of the tube. l

4. A flexible tube comprising a series of inner rings, a series ofsurrounding flexible rings arranged alternately with the inner rings, aseries of outer rings surrounding the flexible rings and arrangedalternately therewith, the said outer rings having outwardly extendingflanges at their ends, and means for engaging the said flange to preventalmormal separation of the outer rings.

5. A flexible tube comprising a series of inner rings, a series ofsurrounding flexible rings arranged alternately with the inner rings, aseries of outer rings surrounding the, flexible rings and arrangedalternately therewith, the said outer rings having outwardly extendingflanges at their ends, and rings having inwardly extending flangesforengaging the flanges of said outer rings. 7

6. A flexible tube comprising a series of inner rings, a series ofsurrounding flexible rings arranged alternately with the inner rings, aseries of outer rings surrounding the flexible rings and arrangedalternately therewith, the said outer rings having outwardly extendingflanges at their ends, and sectional rings having inwardly extendingflanges to engage the flanges of the outer rings and having asurrounding'band to hold the sections in place.

7. In a flexible tube, the combination with a series of separated, innerrings, a series of separated outer rings, a series of abuttingintermediate elastic rings, and means for preventing abnormal separationof the outer rings, of a coupling section having an annular recess toreceive the end of one ol' said elastic rings, and means for preventingabnornml separation of said coupling and the adjacent outer ring.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE E. ROYER.

Witnesses EDWARD N. NoLL, JOHN J. ODONNELL.

